Where The Sun Don't Shine
by NotYourBestFriend
Summary: Bella never expected to find her long lost Father in the dinky little town of Forks. She'd spent decaded searching for him after he dissapeared from their Texas ranch in 1862. Now, 150 years later, there brought together again. For now.
1. Prologue and First Encounters

**Prologue**

One day we'll all die.

Though it's depressing it is the truth. But the truth for some, is a myth to others. I will never die. I will never have to feel the life slowly draining from my body, drifting peacefully up into the sky. I will never be buried in a shallow grave nor will I ever be placed in a burning incinerator to later be scattered into the ocean. I will always be alive and I will always be alone. I have come to terms with this after many, many years of travel. I've seen a lot. I've heard a lot, I've felt a lot. But never once did I feel the need to find a partner or a mate. I'm a loner and that's fine by me.

I wasn't always a loner though. I used to be a carefree southern girl, living on the Texas prairie. It was always warm and always beautiful. I remember the things that surrounded me. The fresh water in the pond, not yet polluted or soiled by foreign items. The warm breeze wafting through the trees, blowing my hair around my face. The hot buttered corn and the juicy deer meat on my plate, tempting and succulent. It was a perfect life…

Until Pa left.

It had been a normal night. As it got darker, it got cooler and I had been in the kitchen with Ma, cooking up supper. My younger brother, Peter, had been playing on the floor when Pa came in and announced that our old mutt, Chester, had disappeared. Chester was a good old dog, he had been around since I was just a toddler. Pa used him to look after Peter, our crops and I. He didn't want us getting mauled by a coyote as much as he didn't want our crops being taken by the coons. He would have just let him wander back home, but he didn't want to risk our corn being nibbled on by those varmints outside, so he went out looking. Ma wasn't too happy about it, considering it was getting darker. Pa assured her that he would be home in no time, and that all he was doing was going to find that no good old flea bag. He swung Peter up on his shoulders and kissed me on the cheek before heading off to find Chester.

If we had known he would never come back…

Darkness fell and supper went cold, but Ma insisted we still sit at the table and wait for Pa. She kept saying he'd be home any second, any second he'd walk right through that door. As the seconds turned into minutes and minutes rolled into hours, Ma got more and more worried. Peter was just a tot, he didn't understand what was going on. After Ma put him to bed, she let me sleep with her in their bed, considering Pa wasn't home. She convinced herself that he had realized the time and stopped at a neighbors to take shelter for the night. I agreed, simply to calm her nerves. But inside, I had a bad feeling.

The next day, Ma waited anxiously by the windows, hoping to see Pa gallop up on his horse, smiling and sunny like always. I watched Peter play in the pond, so Ma could focus on fretting. She kept herself busy by picking the ripened vegetables from the ground, but I saw that she kept glancing up every now and then at the trail. Still, no Pa. Though what really sent her over the edge was that Chester had come home late last night, all by himself. Pa hadn't had too much faith in that old rascal, I remember thinking as I rubbed his ears. The day passed and Ma was tearing her hair out worrying about Pa. I finally decided to walk the few miles down to old Mr. Howell's house and check if Pa was staying there. I knew it was a lost effort, but it gave Ma and I some comfort. I wanted her to be calm, considering she was due to deliver any day now.

I left her and Peter lying in the bed that afternoon. The sun was still high up in the sky and it was beating through my bonnet. I took it off at some point, wiping the sweat from my forehead before tucking my dark hair back up in its twist. Pa's hair was dark and long, but in the right light, his hair was almost as yellow as the corn he grew. It was clearly amazing. Ma's friends always told me I looked just like my Pa, while Peter resembled my Mother with his golden locks and his big brown eyes. Hopefully, the new baby would be a mix of both.

I arrived at Mr. Howell's farm after a long walk. Ma would only let me go in broad daylight, so I would be safer. She even made me bring Chester. I knocked on Mr. Howell's door and his elderly wife opened it up and looked down at me, smiling.

"Well, Isabella Whitlock, what a nice surprise. Would you like to come in, dear? I was just getting supper ready. Sit down for a spell." She welcomed me, ushering me into her home. Mr. Howell was sitting at the table, enjoying a cup of freshly brewed lemonade. He smiled at me, sweetly. He was missing three teeth.

"Little Lady Whitlock? Darling, where's your Pa? Ain't he with you?" He demanded, curiously. His voice was raspy from all his years of shouting orders and rounding up kids. He was a lovely man, always gentle and sweet with the children around here. His own son and daughter had passed away after a horrible illness struck them and he had been grieving ever since.

"That's why I'm here, Mr. Howell. Pa's gone missing. Ma sent me down to ask if you've seen him passing by." I explained, politely. He looked stumped.

"I saw him last night, riding around the fields. He was looking for your trouble making mutt, I guessed." He gave me a coy smile. "You're Ma shouldn't be worrying. It's not good for that boy she's carrying around."

Mrs. Howell scoffed. "Oh, Archie, honestly. It could be a little lady she's carrying around and you wouldn't know a thing about it."

He chuckled, before turning back to me. "I'll keep an eye out, darling. Now run on home and tell your Ma to stop her jittering around. If I know your Pa, and I do, he's just dwindling around, enjoying the sun."

He must be enjoying the moon too, I thought as I lay in Ma's bed again that night. Peter hadn't been worried one bit, he was far too little to understand what was going on. I held Ma's hand while she sniffled into her cotton pillow next to me. I rubbed her back until she fell asleep. That night, I decided something was really wrong.

Pa would never leave us. He was a good man and he was worried about Chester that night and feeding the family. He would never abandon us like that. It simply couldn't happen, I decided. But that didn't mean he was alright. Oh boy, did it mean the exact opposite. The extremely exact opposite. I didn't get a wink of sleep the whole rest of the week. Not until our horse came trotting home.

Without Pa.

All Ma and I could do was sleep. I had just turned twelve that week. I spent my birthday in bed, working Ma through the rest of her expectancy. She had only a few weeks to go when we found Pa's hat in the creek, ten miles from here. That's when Ma finally lost hope. And when she finally had the baby.

Charlotte Jasmine Whitlock was born on June 14, 1862, named after her Papa. She had her father's dark hair and his big round blue eyes. Ma swore she could be my identical, but I blushed at the thought. Little Charlotte Whitlock would grow up to be much prettier then little old me. But at least she'd grow up with a man around, because exactly one month later, Ma remarried. She didn't want to be all alone out here with us kids, so she asked around. It turns out, Mrs. Byrd's son was visiting that week. He took one look at Ma and her Sunkist blonde locks before proposing. No courting, no romance, no love. She needed a husband and he needed a wife. It was a marriage of convenience. There was no love involved. It was nothing like Pa and Ma.

Warren Byrd looked nothing like Pa. He was short, but broad where as Pa was tall and lanky. Warren had ruffled orange locks and sharp black eyes, where as Pa had a dark mane and wide turquoise eyes. He was mean and skeptical where as Pa was aloof and charming. Ma hated every minute spent with him, but she was doing this for the family. We were now officially the Byrd family. But in my heart, I knew I wasn't Isabella Byrd. I would always be Isabella Whitlock, the ultimate southern belle. And Warren Byrd would never change that.

"Nettie!" He would yell out during the day.

"Nettie!" He would yell out during the night.

"Nettie!" He would yell out in my dreams.

"Isabella!" He would yell out when he couldn't find, "Nettie!"

He made Peter get to work on the farm right away. He was only four years old, he was barely big enough for his breeches, let alone working the fields. He made Ma tailor Pa's clothes to fit his plump figure and he made me rub his feet while Ma worked during the evening. He was disgusting and he wanted a son immediately.

Ma was still nursing Lottie when she became pregnant again. Warren warned her every day that it better be a boy, otherwise it would have no use to him. He didn't like Peter one bit, because he wasn't his own. Besides, Peter was already too much like Pa to be anything like Warren. It was the same for Lottie and I. And Lottie was only ten weeks old. Ma wasn't allowed to talk with her friends anymore. Warren kept her busy, whether it was around the house or in his bedroom performing her wifely duties. I could hear her crying every night after he was done, but whenever I would ask her she would sniffle and say it was her job as a respectable wife. She never claimed it was a job when Pa was around. She told me that it was love back in those days. Now it was work.

When I turned fifteen, Warren decided it was time I find a husband. Ma disagreed, but he shut her up with a few quick smacks to her rosy cheeks. She looked so flushed all the time, it was almost nice to see some color in her cheeks, even if it was the result of violence. She had been so busy taking care of the children. We were up to eight by this time. There was Peter, Lottie, Victoria, James and I. Victoria and James were a result of Peter's venomous work ethic, but Ma loved them just the same. They were twins, both with a shock of red hair and large brown eyes, just like their Ma. Warren was eager for them to grow so James could start his work on the farm.

By the time I was sixteen, Warren was going stir crazy. He wanted me out of his house and making little babies for him to brainwash. I was appalled when he started knocking on doors, demanding someone take my hand. Ma soothed me, happy to be away from him for awhile. It always felt good when his presence was gone. It was like a giant storm cloud had been removed from the sky and we could all finally breathe again. Peter was now eight years old and could plow the fields all by himself. Lottie had just turned four when Warren showed up at the door with the unfamiliar man.

His hair was pulled back in a blonde ponytail and he was strikingly pale. He was incredibly beautiful except for his strange eyes. They were a deep red color, but Warren waved it off and told me to shut up and mind my own business. I'm sorry, Warren, I wasn't aware that my marriage wasn't my business. I forgot that you're the almighty Byrd and you know everything there is to know about everything, I remember thinking, vehemently. Ma invited him for supper, but he refused, saying he'd much rather go on a nice quiet walk with me. I felt dread in the pit of my stomach. Ma nudged me to the door and when I wouldn't budge, Warren grabbed my arm and practically threw me out.

I walked nervously down the path with him. He tried to touch my hand, but I pulled away. He smelled very nice, like freesias and daffodils. I had gotten so used to Warren's perspiration that I forgot what a good man smells like. He made idle chit chat, asking me about myself as we approached the woods. Ma had been terrified of them ever since Pa disappeared, but I didn't want to seem stupid in front of this gentlemen, so I followed him down the dirt road through the forest. It wasn't until he started to go off the path that I got worried. He cut through the dark trees and his seductive voice called my name the whole time. Like a fool, I followed him wide eyed and mystified.

That was the last day I ever saw Ma. And Peter. And Lottie. And Victoria. And James. And thank the Lord, Warren.

I don't remember a lot after that. I remember following him and then…being grabbed around the waist. There was a snap in my neck and everything went dark. There was pain. Lots and lots of pain, but I survived it. I remember screams, probably mine. And three days later, I woke up. I woke up and the first thing I did was kill a bunny passing by.

I didn't know what was wrong with me. All I knew was that every time an animal passed by, I couldn't help myself. I sprang into action. I knew I couldn't go home to Ma. She was probably in a frenzy and I felt terrible leaving her like that, but I had to. The man who never told me his name was gone, but I feared he did this to me. There was no other explanation. It was weeks of travel before I spotted someone like me. I saw him in San Antonio. It was a short interaction and he basically laughed in my face when I asked him what I was. But he good heatedly explained it to me and I was shocked at what I heard. A vampire? It couldn't be! I left Texas shortly after I snapped and killed a bear close to my home. I couldn't take the chance of snapping and killing someone I knew, or worse, killing someone I loved. So I vanished.

I never once considered that my Dad might have gone through this too. It never once crossed my mind. Until decades later, I found him. At Forks High School , with big golden eyes and four other vampires by his side.

* * *

It was raining again in Forks, not to my surprise. I had been living in a small motel on the outskirts of the town, hoping not to seem too suspicious. There was a small house for sale in the middle of town, but I didn't want to be that obvious. I only looked sixteen, I couldn't very well go out and buy a home all by myself. I scolded myself for ever even thinking it. If Ma were there, she'd give me a licking with a switch for ever being that dumb. The motel was small and relatively clean, plus it didn't have too much security. That might have scared some people, but a rapist wasn't too much of a threat to me. You've got a gun? I have unnatural strength and speed, not to mention kick ass boxing skills. Mess with me, rapist, I dare you.

Since I was sixteen, it was only logical that I attend high school. I had grown accustomed to the smell of human blood over the years and it didn't really bother me anymore. I still felt a slight twitch every now and then, but it was mostly controllable. I'm proud to say I've never had even a drop of human blood. I kept myself too isolated for that. Now, I've attended high school before, don't get me wrong. I just tended to stay away from small towns. Smalls towns were filled with nosey people and I didn't need any snoops lurking around. Normal people were dimwitted enough for me, thanks.

I packed my school bag up with my fresh supplies I bought late from Staples last night. My backpack was black and average, unlike myself. My hair was quite long nowadays and my eyes had changed into a liquid golden color. I was much paler then I was back on my Texas ranch, but I had learned to live with it. Pale looked good on me. I climbed into my sleek black Ferrari and stepped on the gas. School was somewhere I was not looking forward to being, but I might as well have fun arriving. A few minutes later, I swung into the parking lot, cutting off a shiny silver Volvo. They honked at me, but I just rolled my eyes. Stupid teenagers had no idea how to drive. Were they born yesterday?

I climbed out of my car, enjoying the looks I got from the boys passing by. I even got a few baffled stares from the girls. But the stares soon turned into glares from the girls and snickers from the boys. They elbowed each other and gyrated their hips in my direction. A stubby blonde boy claimed he would "tap that". Sorry, pudgy blonde kid. You're not my type.

"Hello, my name is Isabella Whitlock, I'm new." I introduced myself to the secretary, giving her a wide smile. Her eyes widened and she typed something quickly on her computer. She gulped.

"Yes, yes, of course. Isabella Whitlock, you're right on time." She twittered, nervously. "Here is your schedule. I'll find someone to walk you around…"

She scanned the children coming and suddenly spotted someone she approved of. I froze when I inhaled.

"Jessica, dear? Could you please show Isabella around?" She asked her, sweetly. A frizzy haired brunette flounced over to us and gave me a once over. She ga12ve me a small, condescending smirk and looked back at her friends. They were nudging each other and giggling.

"Of course, Mrs. Cope. I'd love to show _Isabella _around." She had a high pitched voice and she smacked her gum obnoxiously, I noted. "You know, I'm friends. When we arrived, Jessica pushed me forward, right into a busty blonde girl. The girl sneered in my direction. I resisted the urge to laugh. The girl had about a foot on me, even without her heels, and I was tempted to remind her that guys usually didn't go for the NBA style girls. But I figured first impressions were lasting, so I let it go.

"What's your name?" She demanded in a nasally voice. I gave her a wide grin, showing all my perfectly white teeth in two neat rows. I could clearly see a snaggle tooth behind those painted lips.

"Whitlock." I answered shortly. She snorted, before looking at her friends in disgust. They rolled their eyes, mimicking her expression. Even Jessica was making a gagging motion behind my back with her finger. Desperate girls, I thought. When will you learn?

"What kind of name is Whitlock?" She scoffed turning her nose up. She really needed to clean out the cave. The bats were reproducing rapidly.

"What kind of name is Lauren?" I chirped back before giving her a quick wink and pushing her out of my way. I walked right by her, loving the sound of my boots clicking in victory. Other kids stopped to stare at me, whispering and mumbling amongst themselves as I went by. One word thrown around a lot was 'Cullen'. Was that supposed to be some new hip word for hot stuff? I really needed an update. The last time I went to high school, bell bottoms were in style and the hippie movement was at its prime. I have to say, I've hugged trees with the best of them.

I was proud of myself to say the least. The blonde had been baffled that I already knew her name three minutes after entering the school. She had also seemed a bit smug, like it was an honor for everyone to know her name. I had only known it because I heard some boys across the room, whispering about how Lauren was going to eat the new girl alive. Like she was any threat to me, I thought as I found my locker. They were red and incredibly tacky, but I turned the dial on the lock quickly and yanked it down before opening up the squeaky door, hurriedly. There was a girl at the end of my locker row, who kept looking up at me, silently. I turned and gave her a quick smile before unloading my supplies into my locker. The girl kept staring.

"Can I help you?" I finally asked. The girl blushed bright red and my mouth watered. I bit that feeling back and leaned against the metal, waiting for her to respond.

"Sorry." She mumbled, going through her bag. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I wasn't uncomfortable," I assured her. "My name is Isa. And you are…?"

"Angela." She answered, wiping her nose on her sleeve. She took a white binder out of her locker and shut it with a quiet click. She was very mousy, but I suppose if she was anything else, she just wouldn't look right. I walked more towards her and she stepped back, intimidated.

"Can you help me?" I asked, pulling out my schedule. "I'm kind of lost."

She seemed surprised someone was talking to her. "Y-yes. Of course, I'd love to help." She glanced down at my schedule, seemingly going through a catalog of classes in her mind. Her face brightened and she looked up at me, excitedly. "We have the exact same schedule."

I gave her a smile. "That's great! At least I have a friend to hold onto around here. Would you mind showing me around?"

She nodded, happily. "Sure! We have theatre first. I'm not sure why I signed up for it, but Mom says it looks good on my college application to have something artful done."

She continued to babble, while I walked down the hallway by her side. Did this school not have homeroom, I wondered looking around. Everyone seemed to be going straight to their classes. Angela must have picked up on my confusion, because she gave me a quick explanation about locker clean out today as we entered a small gray and green room, with little wooden desks filling up most of the area. There were kids in corners, laughing and talking, but most turned to look at me curiously. I spotted the pudgy blonde boy in the corner, talking to a very oily Asian male, who couldn't take his eyes off of Angela. He blushed bright pink when he caught me staring at her.

Angela lead me to a row of chairs in the back of the classroom, where I was perfectly content. When you're a vampire, it's best to stay out of the spotlight, which was why I was kind of pissed they stuck me in this class anyway. But Angela looked so happy to be sitting with someone, so I let it go. I looked up from my doodles to find the pudgy blonde and the Asian walking up to us, nervously.

"Hey, Ashley." The blonde said. "Who's your friend?"

Angela ducked her head, clearly embarrassed that he got her name wrong. The Asian elbowed him and started to apologize when a middle aged woman strutted into the room. She was wearing khakis and a striped sweater that didn't go together at all. But who was I to judge? She cleared her throat in an attempt to get the attention of the class, before she finally whistled very shrilly, causing every head in the room to turn towards her.

"Hello, class. Today we'll be presenting our improvisation monologues, so I hope your all ready to go!" She announced, before she noticed me sitting in the back. "And it seems we have a new student! What's your name, honey?"

"Whitlock." I said, clearly. Some kids made faces at the name, but I shrugged it off. It was strange to address myself with my last name, but people often tried to give me nicknames when I went by Isabella. What could you possibly shorten Whitlock to? Whitty? Lockie? I don't think so.

"Whitlock, what an interesting name! Well, Whitlock, would you like to come up and present your monologue first? It's improvisation, so you don't have to worry about being prepared or anything." She reassured me. I groaned inside my head, but made sure to plaster a smile on my face. Angela gave me a comforting pat on the arm as I stood up. I headed to the front of the room, where there was a small gray platform built into the floor. I stepped up on it and cleared my throat out of habit. As I opened my mouth to begin, the door in the back of the room opened and everyone swiveled their heads around to look. I froze as I laid eyes on the people walking in.

"Sorry we're late, Miss Taylor. We had some trouble in the parking lot." A small sprite of a girl explained to her, while a voluptuous blonde handed her a pass from what I assumed would be the front office. The burly guy next to her, nodded along.

"That's fine, Alice. You all are just in time to hear Whitlock's monologue." She grinned, gesturing towards me. The little one, Alice, looked up at me and froze. I saw her quickly sniff the air and nudge the blonde as they took their seats at the end of the row Angela and I were seated in.

The blonde girl was glaring at me as I chose a random lie off the top of my head to create into a tale about my childhood in Kentucky. I always had to say I was from a southern state when I started in a new place, because of my pesky southern accent that stuck by me all these years. This time, I decided to say I was from Kentucky, because I'd seen at least sixteen KFC's driving into town. I figured the people here might appreciate that particular choice of background.

I knew they were vampires the minute they walked into the room. They were so pale and pristine, it was like looking at myself. Their eyes were a liquid gold color, resembling mine. I could see though that their eyes weren't quite as yellow as mine were though. All of them had an incredibly faint red tint to them, showing that they were either relatively new vampires or they hadn't been on the animal diet for very long. Alice, the small one, had a short black bob with wisps of dark hair popping around her face. The girl next to her, the blonde, had long golden tendrils that went nicely with her eyes and pouty red lips that the male seemed to enjoy. The male was large, with bulging muscles and an array of brown curls atop his head. They were all staring at me, curiously as I took my seat a few seats down from them.

I knew I smelled something fishy when I came into town. I smelled vampire everywhere I went, so it honestly didn't surprise me when I smelled a hint of supernatural when I rolled into Forks. Vampires were nomads mostly and they traveled quickly, always carefully hidden. I was under the impression I alone in my lifestyle. Not animal hunting, of course, but how I lead the life of a human. I went to school, I did my homework, I had jobs. Most vampires were not only nomads, but they were thieves. They were too quick for humans to catch them and too strong for them to lock us up. It was easy to rob a poor family of mortals blind of all their possessions, but it was much harder to rob them of their assets, especially those in the bank. I snorted as I imagines a scrawny little man holding up a Sovereign with his pathetic little revolver. I then imagined a stealthy, beautiful vampire unlocking a vault in the dead of night and hurriedly retrieving what they came for. I liked the vampire option better. At least with vampires, they knew what they were doing.

I was closest to the burly male, who was obviously shielding his…ladies from me. I couldn't blame him, I was shielding the entire class, secretly. We had no information about each other, so it was only rational we assume a threat. The rest of the class period, we finished the monologues and chatted quietly amongst ourselves. I braced myself when the small one delicately got up from her chair and sat right down in the one next to me.

"Hello, I'm Alice Cullen, nice to meet you." She greeted me, holding out her hand. I shook it, reveling in the normalness of it. For now, we were just normal human beings. It was a nice feeling. "And this is my brother, Emmett and my sister, Rosalie."

I waved at them, trying to act shy. I felt eyes on me around the room though conversations were held.

"I'm Isabella Whitlock, pleased to meet you too." I said, politely. Rosalie was looking me over, like she was checking for damage. I rolled my eyes when she turned her nose up. I expected Alice to keep pointlessly chatting with me, but instead she lowered her voice so that humans couldn't hear and leaned towards me a bit.

"We'd like to speak with you, if you don't mind." She murmured, fast and blunt. I nodded, swiftly and she got up just before the bell rang. I felt bad about doing this, but I turned to Angela once we reached the whole way and gave her an apologetic look.

"I have to go to the bathroom. I'll meet up with you though, okay? We have Biology next, right?" I guessed.

She looked upset, but she nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you there." She mumbled. She obviously thought I was going to bail on her and I was. Just not the way she saw it. I darted down the hallway to the cafeteria where a janitor was mopping around a table. I snuck out the door and saw Alice, Emmett and Rosalie standing near my car, waiting. They saw me coming and Emmett shifted his weight to stand in front of the girls, protectively. I rolled my eyes, unlocking my car with a click. They looked confused, so I sighed.

"Well, we're obviously not having this conversation right here at school are we?" I huffed, placing a hand on my hip. My jeans were a little too tight for actual comfort, but they looked nice with my boots, so I let it go. I shifted in them as Alice nodded, looking relieved.

"For a minute there, I thought you were leaving. But you're right, we should do this in private with the rest of our family. Just follow us and you can come over to our house, alright?" She suggested. I raised an eyebrow.

"Lead the way, short stuff." I murmured, before sliding into the driver's seat in one fluid motion. I started up the car and listened to it purr in delight. I saw the shiny silver Volvo from before, pulling out of the parking lot and I laughed when I realized that I had actually been the one to give them trouble in the parking lot.

It was short drive to the turn off through the trees. There was gravel path leading to a large white house and I winced as I imagined the little tiny rocks flying up and scratching my poor baby. I rubbed the steering wheel, embarrassingly enough as I pulled up to the mansion behind Alice. She bounced out of the driver's side before I could blink and the other two went on ahead in the house. They were obviously warning the others. I sighed and climbed out of the car, appreciating the paved driveway. I didn't like to waste my hard earned money on frivolous things, though I could if I wanted to. Mud would definitely ruin these insanely expensive boots.

I walked up beside Alice and she gave me a warm smile. "Just to warn you, my family is a little precautious with new comers. Don't be alarmed with their abrasiveness."

I winked at her as we stepped up on the porch. The door was opened in one swift motion and I gasped. I stepped back, taken off guard by his presence and covered my mouth with my pale hand. He looked as surprised as I did. His hand was frozen on the doorknob and he wasn't breathing, nor was I. I took him all in and in one big gust of breath, I whispered it.

"Pa."


	2. Unhappy Campers

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the slow update, I've been kind of tied up lately. Thanks for all the reviews last chapter, it was really appreciated. I was in the hospital yesterday for a cat scan and I had nothing to do all day today, so I wrote. Nothing is wrong with my brain that I didn't already no about, thank God. Well…read and enjoy. I love reviews.**

I've learned over the years to control myself, really, I have. I've seen a lot and I've done a lot, but never once have I felt this kind of overwhelming relief. Before I could even think about it, I found myself launched into his arms, which were already spread and kicked my legs out behind me. He spun me around, filling the room with his deep southern laughter. He smelt just like I remembered. There was hay, cool water and the fresh Texas air I knew and loved. I inhaled his scent, trying to take it all in, while he had his hand behind my head, holding me to him. My face was in the crook of his neck and he was cool, unlike when we were human. He would have been burning up then.

But as he started to set me down on my feet, I was ripped apart from him and thrown across the room, into a long table. I heard glass shatter and bits of something skim my arms, but I felt no pain. Just a slightly bum arm after I was yanked from my Father, in that horribly violent manner. I looked up after inspecting my arm to see Alice glaring at me from Pa's side. Pa was next to me in a millisecond, and was checking on my arm, gently. It was comforting. I heard Alice hiss.

"What the hell is going on?" She growled, stalking towards me. I gave Pa a sly smile. He stood in front of me in a protective stance.

"Alice, honey, it's not what you think." He assured her, holding his hands out. I raised an eyebrow, because technically he was still married to Ma, not this slutty witch. She got on her toes, into his face.

"I know what I saw, Jasper Whitlock! What, is she some long lost lover you felt the need to hump in my hallway? Was she a favorite trollop of yours back in the day?" She sneered, scowling at me.

"Was throwing me really necessary? I mean, a polite 'move' would have done the trick." I cut in, flexing my arm.

"Shut up, whore." She spat. Jasper pushed her backwards, making her stumble. I noticed the rest of the strange family watching in amusement. A bronze haired God send got in between the two of them before Alice could claw Pa's eyes out, and put his hands on Alice's shoulders.

"Alice, listen to what Jasper has to say." He demanded, calmly. Alice sniffed from her position beside him.

Pa sighed, holding his hand out so he could help me stand up. I took it with my good arm and gracefully jumped up, putting my arms around his neck from behind, hanging on his back like a monkey. Alice hissed.

"Everyone, especially Alice, please calm down. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong." He announced, as I climbed off his back and followed him over to the couch. Alice stood her ground next to the red head, looking furiously at our close contact.

"Alice, Edward, everyone…meet my daughter." He gulped, awkwardly. It was funny to see Pa so flustered. In fact, it was funny to see Pa at all.

"Your daughter?" A caramel haired woman gasped from across the room.

Pa took a deep breath. "I have a lot of explaining to do."

"You're bitch needs to be kept on a tighter leash." I mumbled, leaning back on the couch. If eyes could shoot fire, I'd be up in flames because that's the kind of look Alice gave me. Pa turned to me, giving me his old signature warning look.

"Do you want to go pick out a switch?" He demanded, cocking an eyebrow. I sat up straighter and shook my head. He nodded, knowingly.

"Your Ma wouldn't have given you a choice, sugar breeches." He reminded me. I giggled, leaning on his shoulder.

"Ma would've had to do it even if you sent me out there, you big ol' softie." I replied. A tall faired haired male, who oozed leadership, cleared his throat.

"Jasper? An explanation would be nice." He said, pleasantly.

Pa sighed and nodded. "I think it's best I start from the beginning."

He took a big gulp of air before he began.

"I was seventeen when I met Nettie May. I was still a boy, but I knew right from the minute I laid eyes on her that we were meant to be. True love was a rare thing back in my day, and I was blessed when Nettie returned my feelings. I only courted her for a week before we were setting up a wedding. Nettie wanted simplicity, a few friends and her family. I remember she had loved the flowers, we had tons of flowers. Daisies, Sunflowers, Copper lilies…and they were all yellow, boy, she loved yellow. And the way she looked in her Ma's dress when she walked down the aisle? It was like God was testing me. It took all my power not to collapse in awe of her true beauty."

Alice was scowling at him, so he cleared his throat and quickly moved on.

"After we were married, we decided it would be best to live in my Granddaddy's old cabin. He had died the previous year and left it to me, in hopes that I would settle down with a pretty girl and have my Ma some grandchildren. I don't think he ever knew that he was spot on in his hopes. Because that's exactly what I did. A few months after we had gotten the farm up and running, and had celebrated our marriage to its fullest, Nettie was pregnant."

Caramel hair smiled and took the leader's hand. It would have been nice if he had introduced me before he launched into his heart wrenching tale.

"There were no complications, thank God, and on September 18, 1850, Isabella Marie Whitlock was born. It was the happiest day of my life. Bells, I swear, you were so little, I could fit you in the palm of my hand. Nettie was an excellent Mother and you two bonded instantly. You brightened up every day we spent together, darling. And I'll be damned if you weren't the cutest gosh darn baby to ever live and breathe."

"A few years later, we had little Peter. This is actually where things start to get fuzzy. I know that he looked like your Mother, that I remember. But I can't for the life of me remember how old he was when I was changed. Bells?" He looked at me for answers.

"He was four years old. And Ma was nearly due to have another one when you up and left." I reminded him, a bit harshly. He looked hurt.

"We'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, I remember being annoyed. I was calling out for someone and I was angry because it was getting dark. Was it you, Bells? He asked, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion.

I shook my head. "It was that thieving old mutt, Chester. Remember him?"

He nodded, slowly. "Vaguely. But while I was calling for him, my horse was spooked by something. I fell off and looked up at this breathtaking woman, leaning over me. Everything after what I've told you is true. I met you, Alice, and you brought me back to Carlisle and Esme. That's when life started to seem a little more useful."

I assumed the two in the corner were Carlisle and Esme, so I shrugged off his lack of introduction. He smoothed back my hair and looked pointedly at Alice.

"You understand now?" He asked, giving her the warning look. I almost wanted him to send her out for a switch, but that would probably wouldn't be a punishment for her, so much as kinky.

She still looked angry, but now she was looking a little bashful. "Oh, Jasper, I just-"

"Save it, small fry." I rolled my eyes. She glared at me. "Okay, now, why are you still mad, short stack?"

Alice huffed, and made a light growling noise in the back of her throat. "We'll talk about this later, Jasper Hale."

With that, she stormed off in anger. Pa looked after her, sighing. I turned to him with a cocked eyebrow. "Hale?"

"That would be me." Rosalie piped in, snidely. "He took my last name so our stories would mesh together."

She flicked her hair over her head and I snorted at her arrogance. Hale? I kind of felt like he drew the short end of the stick on that one. Whitlock was a much better deal. And I also felt a little cheated. He sold out on me. You didn't see me going around as Isabella Byrd, but no, he went around as Little Mr. Jasper Hale, vampire extraordinaire. I was tempted to pull a switch on him, by golly.

"So...you have a daughter." The burly man finally spoke from his spot next to Rosalie. What was his name again...? I swear, the vampire memory does nothing for me.

Pa nodded. "Brightest bunch of sun in the fields, if I do say so myself." I smiled and wrapped my arm around his, leaning into his shoulder. He kissed my forehead, already falling back into his Pa role. He'd been in this husband role for so long, it was being my Pa had completely slipped his mind.

"Why didn't you tell us, Jasper?" Esme, the caramel haired woman, spoke from her spot, holding a pained expression in her eyes. Pa ducked his head, sheepishly.

"I didn't want to be reminded of what I'd lost. I knew after I was turned that I could never go home. So, I ran." He murmured. "And it was the dumbest thing I ever did do."

The bronze haired man, furrowed his eyebrows. He looked kind of peeved. "But it brought you to Alice, Jasper. It brought you to your family."

I snorted. "Family? He left his family back on a tiny Texas ranch to fend for themselves. Y'all aren't his family." I pulled away from Pa and crossed my arms over my chest. Pa sighed, pulling me back to him.

"Isa, you haven't changed a bit." He mumbled, smoldering me with his eyes. I felt the lump in my throat when I saw his comforting blue eyes were gone, replaced by glowing honey colored orbs. As a vampire, though, I could feel like crying and never shed a tear. This could either be a perk or a problem. Right now, I felt a serious problem coming on.

Pa turned to his 'family', warily. "If ya'll don't mind, I think my Isa and I need some time alone. We'll be out in the woods if anyone here needs us. You hear?" He asked, standing up. Rosalie wrinkled his nose as Pa fell back into his country. I felt a proud smile coming on. So, that little dwarf vixen hasn't squeezed all my Pa's southern charm out of him, I thought smugly. I knew he was still in there.

He led me out to the woods behind their home, holding my hand, nearly tumbling over his legs to get away from the listening ears. I giggled and he shook his head, sighing.

"It's times like this that I miss that yeller stallion." He told me, once we reached the line of trees. He glanced up at the house and I saw a blur go by the window upstairs. Get on out of here, girl. This is my Pa. Go find your own.

"You remember Buddy?" I asked, genuinely surprised. "We had to shoot him for his meat once Ma married that awful man."

Pa stopped and turned to look down at me. "Nettie May, that sweet little sap covered honey bee, married _another man_?" He demanded, nostrils flaring. I glared at him, breaking away.

"Well, what did you want us to do? We couldn't just sit on our asses and wait to die. Ma was pregnant and little Peter was too young to work the crops yet, let alone ride into town." I snapped, putting my hands on my waist. "Ma had no choice but to find a new husband. Besides, it's not like you didn't go out right away and find yourself a new family to replace us."

He looked hurt. "Replace you? Isa Marie, I don't want to ever hear those words come out of your mouth again. I loved ya'll like the sun loves the Earth, but that didn't matter. I had to disappear."

I turned away from him, as if tears were actually pulling in my eyes. No water had fell on my cheeks in one hundred and fifty years. "We held out hope for so long, Pa. But when old Mr. Howell found your cap in the river...we just knew you weren't coming back."

He swept me up in his arms as I calmed myself down. "Oh, Isa, I'm so sorry. I never thought ya'll might be so hurt. I didn't think a lick bout anyone but my lone self. I knew ya'll would think me a monster if I showed back up at the door."

"A monster? Ma's husband was a monster. Not you." I murmured, twisting around to face him. "Pa, he was just awful. I missed you every second. Ma cried every night...Peter grew up without you."

He closed his eyes a moment, before looking down at me with a gleam in his golden spheres. "What about the baby?"

I smiled, softly. "Charlotte Jasmine Whitlock, born July 14, 1862. Looked just like her Pa, if you ask me."

"Charlotte." He whispered. "Well, I'll be damned. I bet all my crops that it was going to be a boy."

"You and everyone for miles." I teased. "Ma and I were the only ones who knew. Call it female intuition."

He rubbed my arm with his palm. "I missed the birthing. Damn it to hell, I missed the baby's birthing."

I shrugged. "You were there for the conception, I assume."

He mock glared down at me. "You've certainly acquired quite the mouth since we last spoke. From the sound of it, Mr. Byrd wouldn't have appreciated such things coming from a little lady's mouth."

I looked down at the ground, biting my lip. "No, actually, he preferred the lady's mouths to be full. Full of his own manhood, that is."

Pa gasped. "Isa Whitlock!"

I looked innocently up at him. "It's the truth! Ma would come out of the bedroom and drink a whole pitcher of lemonade. She told me once it was like sticking dry corn cobs down you're throat."

He put a hand over his face. "Nettie May, my loving light. I swear, that woman had no filter."

I cringed. "Speaking of filters...seeing as there were none back on the ranch, Ma ended up birthing two more babies after Lottie."

Pa's eyes widened. "With Byrd?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, with Chester. Yes, with that varmint Byrd!"

He leaned back on a tree and slid down so that he was seated on the debris covered ground. "Lordy, lordy...babies? As in, more then one?"

I nodded. "Twins. James and Victoria. They looked nothing like Ma. They were Byrds, right down to the pumpkin colored ruffles."

He looked appalled. "Your Ma went and married a ginger after I left? Well, damn...ya'll really were desperate for a new Pa."

I gave him a soothing look. "Not a new Pa. A new helping hand. We would have starved without Byrd, as much as I hate to admit. He saved our crops and our lives all in one foul swoop. Good Lord, he was rank. It was even worse in the beating down Southern sun. Whoo."

Pa chuckled. "Sounds like quite a prize. Ah, Isa Belle, I'm sorry I went and got myself all shriveled up. I knew I shouldn't have trusted that Mexican devil."

I raised an eyebrow. "Mexican devil? Pray tell, who might that be?"

He sighed. "The vampire that changed me. Maria Gonzalez, in all her glory. I nearly fell of my horse when I saw her under those Texas stars."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What about the beautiful Nettie May?"

"Don't get me wrong, darlin', I loved your Ma more then the air we breathe. But Maria...she put me in a trance. An unbreakable, untouchable trance. I was in her control for the longest time." He told me, sadly. "She was actually the one who convinced me not to go home. Why I listened to her, I haven't the slightest idea. I was a ding."

I snorted. "A whore put you under a spell and convinced you to stay away from your dying family that needed you? Good argument."

He scowled at me, his grip getting tighter. "I would never have left ya'll under my own free will. You were my life, Isa Belle. Don't tell me you don't know what a vampire's spell feels like?"

I sighed, nodding. "The no good thief that Byrd wanted to marry me off to put me in one of those. I was stupid enough to follow him into the woods. It was like I couldn't control my own senses."

Pa smirked. "The tables have turned, little lady."

I snuggled up closer to him. "I thought you were dead, Pa. I thought I was alone."

He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arms around me as I sank down on the ground next to him. "I'll never leave you again, darlin'. Not for all the Maria's in the world."

I basked in our comfort for a moment before realizing something. "What about all the Alice's in the world?"

He whistled, closing his eyes. "Right. Forgot about her."

"Maybe you could forget about her for another one century and come back to Texas with me?" I suggested, hopefully. He laughed, but shook his head.

"Nice try, tumbleweed. But Alice is my wife. I can't just up and leave her."

I sniffed, reminding him of a certain Nettie May on a ranch in Texas.

"That was different." He said, ending the conversation. He stood up and lifted me in his arms, all in one swoop. I laughed. I felt like a little girl again. The only thing missing was the sun. "You'll be living here with us."

Before I could blink, we were in the house. I jumped from his arms and clucked my tongue, ignoring our audience. "Nobody likes a show off, Pa."

"Nobody likes a smart mouth, Isa Belle." He responded, waving his finger at me.

"Oh no, your finger." I laughed. "I'm in trouble now."

He pursed his lips. "I don't remember you being quite so brazen."

I shrugged turning to smile at Carlisle and Esme. "One hundred years alone will do that to you."

Esme looked puzzled. "Surely you have some sort of companion?"

"I have some nomad friends scattered around. But I mostly fend for myself." I explained, twirling absentmindedly around in a circle. Rosalie rolled her eyes from her place in the unused kitchen. I was in front of her in a millisecond.

"I have a right mind to sick the hounds on you." I said, in a tacky, overdone southern accent. She wrinkled her nose and held up her hands in disgust.

"Ew." She said, turning to Emmett. "C'mon, Em. We don't need to be around the roughage. Goodbye."

Emmett gave me an apologetic look and followed her like a lost puppy dog out the door. Pa glared in their direction, but sighed and gave the rest of them a smile. "I take it you all have no problems with Isa Bella staying?"

I interrupted. "Isa Bella has problems with Isa Belle staying."

Pa ran a hand through his hair. "Isa, don't fight me on this. I want my little lady back home with me."

I sighed. "Pa, I don't have a home. I haven't had a home since you left and Ma fell to pieces."

Carlisle spoke up. "We'd love to have you with us...um, Isa. I'm very interested in your evolution. How exactly were you changed?"

I winked at him. "The same way you were, honey."

"Isa!" Pa barked, causing me to pout and turn my attention back to him. He ruins all my fun, I swear. "You're staying here and that is final."

I threw my hands in the air. "Fine, fine! But you've been warned. I come and go as I please. And don't be worried if I disappear for a few days. It's all strictly business." I said, smirking at Pa through my lashes. He gave me a half smile back.

"C'mon, darlin', I'll show you to your room." He said, swinging me up on his back and running up the stairs. I laughed and guided him by his hair, like I used to as a child. He let me, navigating to the third floor with a huff. "You're heavier then I remember."

I leaned against the wall. "It's the zebra. I'm still bloated."

He raised an eyebrow. "Zebra?"

I waved it off. "I was in Africa a few months back, with some friends. Expanding my horizons, if you will."

He nodded, opening a door at the end of the hall. It was bare, except for a bed and a large chest of drawers. He gave me a sheepish look. "This has been our extra room for awhile. But you can fix it up anyway you like."

I looked around. "Where's your room?"

He ducked his head. "Our room is on the second floor, along with Rosalie and Emmett. Carlisle and Esme have a room tucked away on the first floor. The only other person up here is Edward, but he won't give you any trouble."

I frowned. "I like trouble."

He chuckled. "I know you do, darlin'. But grin and bear it."

"You got it, Pa." I murmured, hugging his waist. He inhaled my scent and let out a breath he had been holding for years.

"I've missed you, darlin'." He whispered into my hair. I took him all in.

"I've missed you too, Pa."

**Oh, this is just the beginning….**


End file.
